How Do You Update Your Ford Navigation System?

Update your Ford SYNC navigation system by logging in to your online Ford account and downloading information to a USB drive, as of April 2015. Create an account through Ford's owner login system to receive free updates of the navigation system for as long as you own your vehicle.

Follow a few basic steps to update the Ford SYNC system. Activate your account by inputting your personal information, vehicle information, mobile phone number and a user account name. Find an empty USB drive that holds at least 2 gigabytes of data. Go to the SYNC software updates Web page from your Ford account, and look for the "You have an update available" message.

Click on the Download SYNC Updates link, and then click on Start Download Process once you have the USB drive prepared to receive information. Further instructions appear on the computer screen. After the vehicle information is downloaded to the USB drive, take the device to your vehicle, and insert it into the vehicle's USB port. Report the successful installation on your Ford account once the data completes downloading.

In early 2015, Ford enabled its navigation system to link to third-party navigation apps from smartphones. Navigation maps from certain apps can be displayed directly on Ford's computer screen on the vehicle's dashboard with this system.